Vendee Globe race records shattered

The Vendee Globe 2012-13 got underway from Les Sables d'Olonne on November 10th 2012. The warmth of the welcome and the passion for the Vendée Globe was immediately obvious to everyone who was in Les Sables d’Olonne last Sunday, 27th January 2013, to witness the historic finishes of winner François Gabart and second placed Armel Le Cléac’h, and indeed to a huge global audience who used every different type of media to share the incredible experience.

The two French skippers shattered the race records, Gabart, 29 becoming the youngest skipper to win the Vendée Globe, lowering the course record to 78 days, two hours and 16 minutes 40 seconds and in so doing bettering Michel Desjoyeaux’s 2008-9 record by six days and 53 minutes.

Le Cléac’h also took the solo monohull mark under 80 days for the first time, taking second place by the smallest margin in the history of the race, just three hours 17 minutes and four seconds behind Gabart.

The constant intensity of the duel has kept the audience engaged since the start and this was the inspirational conclusion of the race which has amazed at the sheer consistent speed of the two leading protagonists around the world.

The range of different media which this edition of the race has offered has facilitated a big increase in the global audience, following the action and the statistics 24/7.

The audience for the finish on Sunday 27th January on the Vendée Globe web site, on the mobile application, on Dailymotion and all the internet sites which broadcast the seven-hour live feed of the finish included:

• 650,000 connections to the live feed (cf 400,000 at the start)
• More than 350,000 reviews of the live registered
• So a total of one million views, 650,000 live
• The peak maximum audience connected to the LIVE, 60,000 (cf 38,000 at the start)
• 50 hours of television time on the 17 channnels that broadcast the SAEM Vendée signal.

SAEM Vendée President Bruno Retailleau, 'This Vendée Globe started in a difficult context and will yet be remembered as a record-breaking edition. Beyond the performances and achievements of François Gabart and all the skippers who are making this race a unique event, figures show the Vendée Globe is now one of the five most important competitions in the world of sport.'